lethargic chicken dies within hours

mnmchicks

Hatching
6 Years
May 26, 2013
2
0
7
we got 5 free chickens from one of our local feed mills. We have had them for about a month and guessing they are approximately 3 months old. The other day we found one of the chicks lethargic and stiff barely alive laying on the ground. It had no drainage from eyes or nose and had no respiratory symptoms before we found it. Today we found 2 more the same way again no other symptoms. Does anyone know what may be causing this and if it contagious to our other chickens and ducks? Thanks.
 
Is it possible they are getting into something? Is there any antifreeze out that they might have access to? Poison of any kind (herbicides, pesticides, rat or mouse bait)? I really don't know about diseases, but it seems that if it's happening that fast with no other symptoms, poison could be a possibility.
 
we got 5 free chickens from one of our local feed mills. We have had them for about a month and guessing they are approximately 3 months old. The other day we found one of the chicks lethargic and stiff barely alive laying on the ground. It had no drainage from eyes or nose and had no respiratory symptoms before we found it. Today we found 2 more the same way again no other symptoms. Does anyone know what may be causing this and if it contagious to our other chickens and ducks? Thanks.
Check for mold,check feed,check water(no algae)dead mice,rotten food. Look up botulism,some symptoms are lethargic,not eating,paralysis in approx 24 hours,then death.

Do they have grit?Check for impacted crop,sour crop,check for any issues with their vent(vent gleet). Look at their poop,is it normal looking not runny? Another thing is cocci.
 
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We had 2 that have passed away... One was acting letharhic so we brought her in and put her under a heat lamp with food and water. She's doing great. All poop looks normal and they are in a chicjen pen so no access to poisons. We have had rainy weather with up and down temps do maybe they got too cold. We have cleaned their coop multiple times and let it air dry before we put more straw in in case of a mold issue. Thanks for all the advice
 
i also have a problem with lathargic chickens...i found one yesterday and another today..i a first time chiclen ownrr so for 2 days i have been researching what it could be....I have Rhode island reds...... from what I found out last night on backyard chickens.com in another forum..... was chickens can get lice and mites.... if it is the station is bad enough it can kill the birds..... I went out this morning to check my hand and sure enough I found little bugs crawling all over her..... what I read last night said that garlic was a good thing to deter the bug you make a garlic soup out of the garlic clove and serve it to the birds
 

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